About 125 homes were threatened by floodwaters in Mesa, Arizona, which Mayor Alex Finter likened to a "mini-Katrina," according to KPHO-TV. The television station stated that Finter called for voluntary evacuations in several Mesa neighborhoods as floodwaters surrounded residences.

Mesa city officials said the town's retention basins and channels were overflowing while an Arizona Department of Transportation drainage canal overfilled to capacity as well.

Randy Cerveny, a weather expert and professor of geological sciences at Arizona State University, told the Arizona Republic while the rainfall total is one for the record books, it may be one soon forgotten as the state will continue to suffer from drought conditions.

"This is pretty historic," Cerveny said, but adding that rain will run into streams not into the area's water sources needed to help with the drought. "This helps a little bit. This definitely moistens things up, fills up the soil."

Much of the surprise Phoenix-area flooding was caught on social media.